Operation of a bass drum or high hat (cymbal) is typically through a pedal mechanism that includes a depressible foot plate. The foot plate is mechanically linked to a beater ball such that when the foot plate is depressed by foot pressure, the beater ball moves through an actuate path to strike the instrument. When foot pressure is removed and the foot plate released, the beater ball is biased to return to a resting position ready to move forward again to strike the instrument when foot pressure is again applied to depress the foot plate.
The foot plate in such a pedal is pivotally mounted at a rearward location from a base plate that rests on the playing surface, such as a floor, stage, or ground. In the rest position, the foot plate is at a first acute angle relative to the base plate. The foot plate is depressed to a second acute angle relative to the base plate, the second acute angle being less than the first acute angle. This depression moves the beater ball into striking position.
In some pedal designs, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,446,508 to Crowell, 4,691,613 to Jacobson, and 6,369,308 to Orr, the foot plate is of such length and design that the player's foot is intended to locate entirely on the foot plate during playing. The foot plate of this design typically has pads or brackets by which the player locates his or her foot on the foot plate. This is a design that is not favored by many percussionists because the player will never truly be able to relax while in the resting position. Also, the rebound of the pedal will not come back far enough, thus inhibiting the player's speed and volume. Though it is conceivable with such pedals that the player could slide his foot back so that the player's heel is on the playing surface, rather than on the pedal, the tip of the player's foot would be moved too far back for efficient playing of the instrument.
Most pedals in use today have a heel plate behind the foot plate on which the player's heel is intended to locate in a rest position, while the tip of the player's foot is intended to depress the pedal. Pedals of this design are found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,765,141 to Shigenaga, 6,710,237 to Adams, 6,684,735 to Gatzen, 5,574,231 to Yanagisawa, and 6,570,076 to Kjellgren, the teachings of each of these being incorporated herein by reference. The heel plate typically extends at least 4 to 6 cm. behind the foot plate.
One way of using the pedal to play the instrument is known as a “heel up” technique. The player lifts his or her heel and then depresses the pedal with his or her ball and toes. For a single beat of the instrument, the player lifts the heel, depresses the pedal, and then returns the heel to a rest position, presumably on the heel plate, if provided. For multiple consecutive beats, the heel remains up until the sequence is finished, and then returns to rest, presumably on the heel plate.
Each instrument pedal mechanism provides a “sweet spot” or “optimal location” on the foot plate, that is, a location on the foot plate that the player depresses with the tip of his or her foot for maximum rebound and control of the pedal. After depressing the pedal by pressing with the foot against this “sweet spot”, the player's heel may not come to rest on the heel plate, but may drop behind or partially behind the heel plate. If so, every time the player lifts his or her heel, the heel strikes the edge of the heel plate causing discomfort, particularly after an extended playing session. To eliminate this problem, the present invention provides a pedal in which the player's heel is intended to rest comfortably on the playing surface, the playing surface being the surface on which the base plate sits, such as a floor, stage or ground.
There is also a “heel down” technique in which the player keeps his or heel down while depressing the foot plate with the tip of his or her foot. In prior art designs in which the heel is intended to rest on the heel plate, there is a tendency for the toe to slip from the “sweet spot”.